Food Vendors Demand Review Of Railways’ Catering Policy

The representative body of food vendors and eateries at railway stations on Wednesday demanded the railway ministry review its new catering policy which it alleged endangers the livelihood of small kiosk owners.

In a protest titled ‘Rozi Roti Bachao Andolan’ held in front of Parliament, the Akhil Bhartiya Railway Khan-Pan Licensees Welfare Association said that the Catering Policy 2017 will rob hundreds of their livelihood.

The catering policy which was notified in February, restricts the renewal of the existing licensee with only one catering unit to each contract.

“The policy will bring in multinationals into the stations and deny people who run small stalls and eateries their livelihood,” said association president Ravinder Gupta.

“Many families are dependent on the single title, including many partnership firms and vendor co-operative societies in the current scenario, and this would lead to family disputes and deprive all the deserving family members of their livelihood,” Gupta said.

The new catering policy is based on a Supreme Court order in January, 2016 that said only those licensees shall be eligible for renewal of their licenses who can declare on affidavit that they do not have the license of more than one shop or kiosk in their name or ‘benami’ license at the railway stations.

The association, which has around 700 members, further demanded that license fee should be standardised across the country through a new policy. Read more